Backstage Details On 'Absolutely Blundered' Finish To WWE SmackDown World Title Match

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens' world title match on "WWE SmackDown" ended in an unusual way, and a report has revealed the backstage reaction to the finish and what was originally planned.

Zayn and Owens battled each other in the main event of the September 18 "SmackDown," where Owens kicked out after CM Punk interfered and hit him. "WrestleVotes on Fightful Select" has provided details about the reaction behind the scenes, with a WWE source they spoke to stating that the two "absolutely blundered" the end of the match. The report claimed that many backstage in WWE were unhappy with how the match came to a close, with them saying that Owens wasn't supposed to kick out after Punk's interference.

The report revealed that the original finish to the match would've seen Owens lose after Punk hit him with the belt, which is not what happened, as Owens kicked out and Zayn had to end the match after landing a Helluva kick on him. A few people that "Fightful" spoke to backstage felt that Punk's interference was, in a way, diminished by the change to the finish.

Punk made an impact after the match as he hit a GTS on both Zayn and Owens, continuing his rivalry with both stars. It remains to be seen where the story goes between the three, with Punk set to compete in a men's Money in the Bank qualifier, where he will face Finn Balor and GUNTHER on this week's "SmackDown."